Production performance of over-wintered freshwater giant prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii)

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Quest Journals Journal of Research in Agriculture and Animal Science Volume 2 ~ Issue 11 (2014) pp:07-13 ISSN(Online) : 2321-9459 www.questjournals.org Research Paper

Production performance of over-wintered freshwater giant prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) in polyculture with common carp (Cyprinus carpio) for an early crop M. N. Ahsan1, M. S. Parvez*2, M. A. Rouf1, I. Joarder3 and S. Aktar3 1

Professore, Fisheries and Marine Resource Technology (FMRT) Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, 2 Ph.D. Student, FMRT Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, 3 MS student, FMRT Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208

Received 1 January, 2015; Accepted 31 January, 2015 © The author(s) 2014. Published with open access at www.questjournals.org ABSTRACT:- This study was undertaken to investigate some technical issues and commercial feasibilities of raising an early aquaculture crop with over-wintered late season freshwater prawn, Macro brachium rosenbergii (de Man, 1879) and common carp, Cyprinus carpio juveniles found early first half of the year. From that point of view, an experiment was conducted for optimizing freshwater prawn and common carp stocking density considering production performance evaluation and economic feasibility. A factorial design of 6×3 (treatment×replicate) experimental setup was employed using eighteen earthen ponds measuring 81 m2 each for a culture period of 170 days in between March, 2013 to August, 2013. Essential water quality parameters were found in the suitable range. Among the six treatments, T2 (60 prawn and 15 common carp/decimal density combination) showed highest result in respect of production performance viz. weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, survival, total yield. Again, in case of economic feasibility, T2 (60 prawn and 15 common carp/decimal density combination) further showed most profitable venture which was economically feasible than the other treatments and real farmers net profit. The experiment suggested to stock 60 no/decimal of prawn with 15no/decimal of common carp for the success of the study objective. Keywords:- Common carp, economic feasibility, freshwater prawn, production, stocking density.

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INTRODUCTION

Freshwater prawn has been appeared as a major aquaculture species in many countries including China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Ecuador after its domestication in 1960s. Eventually, Bangladesh has entered into the commercial prawn farming in early 1990s and has become a world player as one of the seven major export countries (Wahab, 2009). In Bangladesh, about 62.9 thousands hectare area are under prawn culture with 39.9 thousands MT production. It is noticeable that, about 90-91% area of total farmed area and 8899% production of total production is from southwest region especially from Khulna, Bagerhat, Narail, Gopalgonj districts (FRSS, 2013). Paddy-prawn gher farming of crop rotation is the main technique applied to the production of both fisheries and agricultural sector in Bangladesh. This method of prawn production is very popular in southwest Bangladesh and the people of these areas have more or less adopted this technique. However, constant diminishing of agricultural lands, increasing family sizes, generation of new needs of the added populations, escalating cost of living, etc all combine to push the poor farming community into a vicious circle of poverty and malnutrition. This situation warrants urgent enhancement of their income, purchasing power and easy access to adequate food. Income enhancement is particularly urgent in low lying and mono-crop (single) areas where only one boro paddy can be grown during January - April. These lands remain fallow after paddy harvest, which could be used for fish and prawn culture. Such integration and crop-rotation are not only necessary to free the farming communities from chronic poverty and the consequent malnutrition through additional livelihood opportunities but it will also ensure the better utilization of natural resources in an environment friendly way (Karim, 2006). In greater Khulna region, paddy-prawn-fish (and recently vegetable on the dykes) culture system is being increasingly practised under the backdrop of negative social and environmental consequences of mono culture of prawn/shrimp (Ahsan, 2010; Karim, 2000). Such technological shift has been creating a very positive *Corresponding Author: M. S. Parvez Ph.D. Student, FMRT Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-9208,

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